Book Review: THE DRIFTERS by James A. Michener

The Drifters by James A. Michener
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"You have some busy years ahead."
"Indeed we do. For we're going to remake a people, and in so doing, we're going to remake a nation."
"The whole purpose of life is to change people into something better."

***
Reading the blurb, I thought THE DRIFTERS was going to be a "lesser" Michener novel. At first blush, it seemed to be about a group of "lost" teenagers loitering around Europe.

Three weeks later, I come away with renewed respect for one who is fast becoming a favorite author. Only Michener could have taken six very different teenagers, cleverly introduced in mini-novellas, and created a cohesive novel where they explain and test their values against those of the REAL protagonist: a senior citizen whose heart feels for the challenges of the youth, who tries to understand them on their own terms (but can't help sneaking in the occasional judgmental paragraph, tee hee)!

This isn't a travel book with free love and drugs. This is a protracted dialogue between 2 different generations: those who fought in World War II, and those avoiding the draft for the Vietnam War. Reading this particular Michener book was like having a beloved Grandpa lecture you, someone who has your best interests at heart, who isn't ashamed to point out your generation's weaknesses, and acknowledges the failings of his as well.

Michener somehow managed to tie in the Six Day War, the politics of the 60's and 70's, the African-American struggle, the drug problem, and so many other issues into this grand epic. He educates his readers without resorting to pedantry, and managed to make his moralizing go down smoothly while taking us on an armchair road trip from Torremolinos and Haifa, to Marrakesh and Mozambique.

He shows us the dreams of each generation -- the older one believing in authority and the continuation of society, the younger one rejecting the absurdity of the establishment -- and the consequences of those dreams. He writes of places he's seen, people he's known, and so much about the music he loves! This book may very well have been his love letter to the children he unfortunately never had, with the over-all tone being: "This is me. This is where I come from. This is what I love. And though I may not understand you hippies, I know that it is a privilege to watch you grow. And I will give all I have to protect you, and help you navigate the trials all lives go through."

This is why we read Michener. We come away better informed, wiser. And hopefully... kinder.

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